A refrigerator is an essential element of your kitchen. It helps you preserve food items and keep those drinks cold. But, when your refrigerator stops cooling, then something may be up. Not only that, you are going to lose your frozen food, but you may also end up paying for a higher repair cost, or worse, buying a brand new refrigerator. When stuff like this happens, you might think that your compressor is broken. To check it out, here’s a quick guide on how do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad.
How to Know if the Refrigerator Compressor is Bad
The Compressor Fan Stops
The compressor fan is one of the most critical parts of the system. You are probably aware that whenever you have any electronic device or machine that works on a processor, the fan is essential to cool down the system and prevent issues such as overheating. If the fan stops, you won’t miss it because your refrigerator will make funny noises. Unfortunately, this isn’t a problem that you can fix on your own, so you will have to call for professional help or a technician who knows how to fix the issue.
The Compressor Clicks On and Off
How do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad? You will determine the condition of your compressor during the “ON” and “OFF”. It should create a humming sound during the time when your compressor is running. If there is no sound for about half an hour, then your compressor is bad or broken. If you can hear a sound, but the refrigerator isn’t cold, your compressor is also broken.
If you notice that your refrigerator’s compressor clicks on and off or is not running at all, check if there’s a start relay issue. This could also mean that there’s some kind of compressor overload and needs to be checked as the compressor can burst if not taken care of quickly. You can check using an amp meter or, much better, call for professional help or someone who has experience with electrical devices or home appliances. But, this does not mean you will have to pay tons of money. In most cases, if a dirty relay causes the problem, a simple cleaning and proper maintenance will fix the issue.
Your Fridge is Not Cool Enough
One of the greatest indications that there’s something up with your compressor is that your fridge is not getting cool enough or that it has some areas that are less cooler that they are supposed to be. Testing your compressor motor will give you an idea of what’s happening. How will you test it? It isn’t that hard, but you have to unplug the fridge so you can access it from the back. However, since most compressors have capacitors, we recommend that you let a professional perform this job.
If your fridge does not hold a cool temperature, you should know that other possible issues are not directly related to the compressor.
Noisy Compressor
This is a relatively common problem. The compressor is usually silent in most modern fridges, so it’s not a good sign if it makes a noise. You will have to check and confirm first where the noise is coming from. A noisy compressor is usually a bad compressor, so you may have to need a replacement asap. Remember that your compressor is the device that controls gas and pressure inside your fridge, so the noise might be associated with high pressure and bad gas maintenance.
Take These Steps to Test your Compressor Further
How do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad? If you think that your fridge’s compressor is the main issue, you need to confirm it. You can try these few steps on how do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad.
- Draw your fridge away from the wall.
- Unplug your refrigerator.
- Look for the panel on the side of the refrigerator’s compressor.
- With a flathead screwdriver, remove one or two screws that are holding the panel.
- Remove that panel.
- Find the starter relay switch and unplug it from your compressor. It should look like the size and shape of a home printer small ink cartridge.
- Shake the switch. If you hear a rattle, then it isn’t good. You will have to order a replacement. If there is no rattle, then the relay is likely okay, but the compressor may be the issue.
A relay switch is usually reasonably affordable to replace. Sadly, a new compressor might cost more than it would cost to get a new one. Here’s how to learn more about appliance maintenance.
Conclusion
Refrigerator compressor problems can be a pain. More often than not, it is hard to detect these issues early on, and you will be able only to figure it out when your fridge stops working. However, you can definitely address these problems if you have an idea of its symptoms before the entire system breaks. So, how do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad? This article might just save you a ton of money.